Family Faith News
Holy Family Parish
Week of July 26, 2020
Family Faith Summer Updates!
As we continue to quarantine, we are committed to safely continuing our Family Faith program in the Fall. We will not return to in-person sessions, and will remain remote. However, we would like to share some important updates.
As a parish, we are accountable for maintaining communication and attendance of families. Using our weekly newsletters, surveys, and monthly zoom meetings, families will have the opportunity for greater participation in our virtual program moving forward. This week, you will receive a call from our office staff sharing information regarding our classes, zoom sessions, and sacraments. Please share and/or update your email address so that we can ensure you will be notified of any news.
In addition, beginning Monday, August 3, updates will also be posted on our parish website, Facebook and Twitter.
Our first Family Faith Parent Zoom meeting will be the week of August 16, during our regularly scheduled classes. Please save the day-we look forward to see you again through zoom!
More details will follow...
Mass Readings for July 26: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus uses the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Costly Pearl to describe the Kingdom of Heaven.
The first parable teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure - specifically a hidden treasure. The treasure was not valued correctly by anyone until the man found it. How many people walked past that field and never knew the treasure was there? Surely the owner of the land didn't know it was there either, or he wouldn't have sold it!
The second parable teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant, searching for fine pearls. The pearl was valued correctly, but the merchant thought it was worth selling everything anyway.
In both these stories, the treasure and pearl are most precious and valued. These parables teach that we should treasure the things of God more than anything else in the world. Jesus describes the physical treasure that two different men valued so much that they sold all they had to gain it. Jesus uses this illustration to teach the spiritual truth that there is nothing on earth as valuable as entering into His kingdom.
The Lesson in this Parable: God is worth more than anything else in the world. He should be more important to us than anything!
Activities for Family
Learning and Sharing
Pictures help to create imagery and retell a story. With your child, watch the video below of the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Costly Pearl. As you watch the story, pause the video to ask these comprehension questions:
Discussion questions prior to watching the video
- Have you ever found any treasure?
- What do you treasure in your life right now?
- What happens in this parable? (A man finds a treasure in a field, hidden.)
- What happened when he found it? (He was full of joy.)
- What does he do? (Sells everything to buy the field.)
- Why does he want to buy the field? (He wants to have the treasure.)
- Why did he hide the treasure again? (It was very valuable, he wanted to protect it and keep it somewhere special.)
- What does the hidden treasure represent? (God is worth more than anything else in the world. He should be more important to us than anything!)
- What would be a pearl for which it was worth selling all you had?
- What is Jesus asking us to do? (cherish our relationship with God)
- Are we willing to give up everything for the kingdom of heaven? Does giving up everything mean that we stop having a good life, fun, or nice things?
Using this link, you can download, print, and create a fun challenge for your child using scenes from this parable.
- Click on the link: https://freebibleimages.org/illustrations/gnpi-042-kingdom-heaven/
- To download the images, click on the button, "Story Planner," on the right side of the screen.
- Print and cut out the strips of images, with its statements.
- With these strips, try these activities!
- ACTIVITY #1: Cut off the number next to the picture (that will tell the answer in order!) Mix up the strips of pictures. Have your child arrange the strips in order, retelling the story of the Gospel correctly.
- ACTIVITY #2: Separate the image from its statement. Have your child match the picture with the statement associated with the image.
- ACTIVITY #3: NON PRINTING OPTION Click on each image to enlarge the picture. Have your child describe what is happening in each picture and its significance.
To get these scenes from the video...
...download "Story Planner" from the website...
...then print, cut, and have your child arrange these scenes in order!
Video Activity - In English
News From Around the Parish
Caritas Corner
While we’ve been focusing on healthy coping skills, we recognize that many people also use unhealthy strategies (especially when they’re under lots of stress). If you or someone you know is suffering, call these resources to request help or report your concerns
- NJ Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-572-7233
- NJ Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline: 1-877-652-2873
- Elder Abuse/Neglect: 732-745-3635 (Middlesex County)
- NJ Substance and Alcohol Abuse Hotline: 1-844-732-2465
- NJ Mental Health Hotline: 1-866-202-4357 (Or Rutgers Behavioral Health Access Center: 1-800-969-5300)
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-855-654-6735
Uplift Video of the Week!
Updated for 2020 - We Are The World!
In 1985, Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson came together to write and record this famous song of unity, "We Are The World." This song earned 3 Grammy Awards, sold twenty million copies, and raised over $60 million dollars for charities in America and Africa.
In 2018, over 30 years later, "We Are The World" was remade and recorded with 33 artists through YouTube Music at the legendary Capitol Studios at Studio A in Los Angeles. These performers came together to share how this message of unity is still strong.
Now in the midst of COVID 2020, only 15 months later than the last recording, this song has brought true meaning to its message of hope. These artist came together, again, with this description:
"The Covid-19 has reached us. We all have to stay at home. We all have to limit ourselves to prevent bad things happening and to save lives. Because of this we have decided to show solidarity with all the artists + Allie Sherlock from 2018!"
Holy Family Parish
- Register online: holyfamilyparishnewbrunswicknj.flocknote.com
OR
- Text holyfamilyforall to 84576 (or 202-765-3441 in Spanish)
Email: catherinek@holyfamilyforall.org
Website: holyfamilyforall.org
Location: 56 Throop Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Phone: (732) 545-1681
Facebook: facebook.com/holyfamilyparish
Twitter: @holyfamily4all